June 2024

A Bernese mountain dog who was hell-bent on continuing a hike hilariously protested when she realized the trek was ending. Beau, who is just 1, is no stranger to enjoying a hike with her owner Tyla. The owner tries to do little hikes with the dog as often as they can, she told Newsweek via email. Beau especially loves the North Shore in Vancouver, Canada. But in the February 27 TikTok video posted to the account @beauberner, they were off on a new hike on Mount Fromme. Beau was extra excited for this “adventure” because she had been recovering for about three weeks following spay surgery, Tyla explained. Beau realized the hike was nearing an end because they walked past the car to check out another trail before doubling back to the car again. It was at that moment she knew she needed to take a stand. Well, in her case, take a seat. The caption reads: “‘I’m not coming with you,’ a story written, directed and starring Beau—based on her life’s memoir.” Screenshots from a February 27 TikTok video of a Bernese mountain dog upset her hike was ending. To protest, she refused to walk any closer to the car. @beauberner/TikTok Tyla said they did not end up doing the entire hike. There was a steep section with a chain and considering Beau was still recovering, she didn’t want to push it. However, Beau desperately wanted to keep hiking. As Tyla kept walking to the car, Beau sat and stared. There was no way she was going to move her body any closer to that car. The hike was only over when she said it was over. “She protests like this a lot, mainly on the sidewalk if I turn in a direction she doesn’t want to go,” Tyla said. “She just sits down. It’s very common for the breed. They’re notoriously stubborn, but I secretly love it.” Tyla usually breaks out the dog treats to overcome Beau’s stubbornness and to keep her moving. However, she also learned to lean into the moments Beau takes slowly and sits for a bit. “I joke that it’s a payment, she can’t go any further without payment,” Tyla said. “She’s very well-behaved as long as she’s paid.” Viewer Reactions As of Tuesday, the TikTok clip had nearly 30,000 views, 3,106 likes, and 17 comments. The dog’s protest struck a chord with viewers as they have experienced something similar. “Nothing like trying to get a 100-pound rock to move,” said one person. A second user added: “This is definitely a dog/parent struggle. Anytime my girl thinks it’s time to go back home, the tiniest rock looks interesting.” Another viewer wrote about what Beau was thinking: “It’s been real, but this is my home now. I’ll miss you. Don’t forget to send my snacks to my new address.” Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our “Pet of the Week” lineup. Uncommon Knowledge Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. Read More

A dog owner who spent the last year working with her husband’s service dog to perform a special command has learned how incredibly frustrating, yet rewarding, training a dog can be. Megan Gentry and her husband Tyson decided to bring home a Doberman pinscher puppy, Bailey, who was eager to please, didn’t scare easily and didn’t immediately give affection—useful traits they would need to train her as a service dog for Tyson. Tyson suffered a spinal cord injury playing football at Ohio State University during his sophomore year. He is a C-4 quadriplegic, with no hand, wrist or tricep function and no trunk control. For the last 18 years, he never had a service dog, Gentry told Newsweek via email. But since Tyson is allergic to Labradors, other retrievers and any fine-haired dog, the pickings for service dog trainers were slim. Instead, they decided to train Bailey themselves. Gentry explained that her two requirements for their service dog were to help pick things up for Tyson and to be able to push him up, as he cannot get himself back up if he leans too far forward. She started training Bailey to perform the “push” task last year. Her March 6 Instagram on the account @megangentry19 shows Bailey’s progression with the command. The clip gives viewers a peek into the “work, persistence, patience, and time” needed to train a dog. Screenshots from a March 6 Instagram video of a service dog’s progression to learning how to “push.” The training was designed to help the dog’s owner sit up in the wheelchair if he leans over… megangentry19/Instagram Gentry started by having Bailey learn to get under a pillow, pushing it up with her body as she leaned against it. They progressed to a pillow in the wheelchair, mimicking the same pushing movement. Then Gentry leaned herself over in the chair instead of the pillow, asking Bailey to again push up with her body before having the dog do it with Tyson. “There was a point about 1.5-2 months before she finally got the entire task to completion that I almost gave up,” Gentry said. “I saw our trainer and told him that I thought I was going to give up on teaching her to push Ty up because I didn’t think Bailey was big enough or strong enough to do it.” Trainer Scot Rucker of Rucker Dog Training helped guide her through the process, encouraging her to keep going. Like any training, it doesn’t happen overnight. The key is consistency. Gentry said she used Bailey’s mealtimes as training times. Bailey ate three times a day, every day as a puppy. All three of those times were spent training with food incentives. Trouble popped up when Gentry discovered that for Bailey to get the right leverage, she needed to get her back feet on Tyson’s footrest, and because dogs don’t like their paws unstable, it took Gentry five months to get Bailey comfortable. Her video gives viewers a glimpse into the realities of training a service dog. And despite wanting to throw in the towel, Gentry continued, knowing how much Bailey could help. “Having Bailey here and able to help him has given me so much relief and given him some more independence,” Gentry said. “Before Bailey, if he dropped something on the ground, he would have to leave it there until I was able to pick it up for him. Now, he just calls Bailey and she can be his hands.” Bailey has learned other commands that help Tyson, including cleaning up, closing the door, hitting handicapped buttons, turning his wheelchair around and going under tables when needed. However, Tyson’s favorite command is “bring.” Tyson will say this word if he drops something and Bailey will come, pick it up with her mouth, then set it on his lap. He can use this while at the store and in need of help getting items off the shelf. Bailey can even differentiate who to bring an item to, and even “off duty,” she’ll still come around to pick something up that hit the floor. “Dog training is incredibly rewarding but it can also be incredibly frustrating,” Gentry said. “I am a very type-A person and like to get things completed and done. Dog training doesn’t work like that, it takes time and patience and you can’t rush the dog or it will take even longer.” Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our “Pet of the Week” lineup. Uncommon Knowledge Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. Read More

Although aging is inevitable for pets, owners still feel heartbreak as they watch their dog’s energetic spunk slowly decline and signs of cognitive dysfunction increase. The American Kennel Club reported that 28 percent of dogs between the ages of 11 and 12 show at least one sign of dog dementia, which is the dog equivalent of Alzheimer’s disease in humans. That increased to 68 percent when dogs reached the age of 15. Owner Paola Kulsrud noticed the family’s oldest dog Mehkia showing early signs of doggy dementia last fall. She told Newsweek that he would get stuck behind the couch, not knowing how to get out and he would pace more. A trip to the vet confirmed these were signs of dementia setting in and at his age, 15, it isn’t uncommon for dogs to start declining. Kulsrud’s recent TikTok video shared to the account @3crazyhuskies on May 6, showed one of Mehkia’s particularly hard nights. Confused, he went downstairs and started pacing at 3:30 a.m. Kulsrud brought his bed downstairs and calmly stayed with him, encouraging him to go back to sleep. She wrote in the caption that his condition “breaks my heart.” Screenshots of a 15-year-old Husky pacing around the house at 3:30 a.m. The dog’s owner shared this heartbreaking clip to show the realities of doggy dementia. @3crazyhuskies/TikTok Kulsrud thought this night was especially difficult since her husband Mike was not home from work, noting that whenever Mike is gone, the symptoms seem to worsen. She believes that could be due to the stress Mehkia experiences when he cannot find Mike. Mehkia is going through a few trials of different medications recommended by the vet. He is currently taking Senilife, CBD, and calming support supplements. Kulsrud said it will take 30 to 60 days to determine if the medications help, but he is her “tough old guy.” And luckily, Mehkia is still showing signs of enjoying life. He likes to go out on walks every night. He still eats, knows where the water is, and gets excited whenever Mike returns. Plus, he runs around trying to keep up with his doggy siblings. “[Doggy dementia] definitely tests your patience,” she said. “But then you look at them and know he is obviously aging and going through something. Me doing anything or raising my voice is not going to help.” The heartbreaking reality of doggy dementia struck a chord with TikTok viewers as the clip amassed nearly 10 million views, over 788,500 likes, and 22,500 comments. “Awww you’re so patient with him. You are exactly what he needs,” said one viewer. Another added: “Being gentle and kind is something people don’t get. These dogs need extra love…” A third person wrote: “It’s at this age and mental state the only thing you can do is provide them comfort and consistency. A soft bed, food and water close by, and most importantly your company.” Doggy Dementia Like humans, dogs can experience cognitive decline as they age and one of the conditions older dogs might experience is canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome, also known as doggy dementia. While the exact cause of doggy dementia is still being studied, there are a few factors that have been identified as potential contributors, according to Preventive Vet. These factors include the natural aging process, neurological changes, genetic predisposition, reproductive status, and underlying medical conditions such as neurological eye and ear disorders. Owners should be on the lookout for cognitive decline signs as earlier detection of doggy dementia can lead to an approach to slowing it down. Dogs will show signs of disorientation, restless nights, loss of appetite, behavioral changes, and potty accidents. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our “Pet of the Week” lineup. Uncommon Knowledge Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. Read More

A dog hired by a San Diego, California, fire department proudly walked into her first day on the job with nothing more than smiles and happy trots, giving hope that her role will grow and the department can hire other canines. Five-year-old Annie started her job at the Lakeside Fire Protection District as the department’s first member of the new mental health program. Her job is to help firefighters recover and manage the overall stress associated with the job. Douglas Strange of Lakeside Fire told Newsweek via TikTok that the English Labrador adopted from Guide Dogs of the Desert had since been trained to be a station dog and is AKC-certified. And within two months of the job, she’s already providing an escape for the workers with playtime, hanging out and endless snuggles. There was never any doubt Annie wouldn’t do her job, as she walked into the first day full of confidence. The day was caught on camera and shared to her TikTok account @annie.the.fire.dog on March 10. The clip showed Annie getting familiar with her surroundings and gave a tour of her own little office. It didn’t take long for her to settle in. Screenshots from a March 10 TikTok video of a dog’s first day on the job at a fire station. She proudly walked in and quickly got comfortable in her role. @annie.the.fire.dog/TikTok The station employees are greeted daily by Annie with her tail wagging and a smile spreading across her face. Annie also loves playing fetch, especially with the football, snuggling, hanging out, and like any dog, receiving treats. Annie is joined by brother and sister dogs who are also station and therapy dogs, Strange said. However, she’s the first canine doing the job full time. “Annie’s our first full-time fire dog here, and the future looks bright on getting another station dog for other stations,” Strange added. Viewer Reactions Annie’s first day quickly touched people’s hearts and the TikTok video reached over 1.4 million views, 258,300 likes and 926 comments. “If I call the firefighters I expect Annie to show up,” joked a viewer. Another asked: “Has she trained the chief and other essential staff yet?” The video creator responded by saying: “She outranks them.” A third person commented: “She is going to micromanage the fire fighters and always be right next to them watching what they’re doing.” Hey, who wouldn’t want Annie to greet them every day at work? Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our “Pet of the Week” lineup. Uncommon Knowledge Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground. Read More